De Anza College to UCLA
Psychology Transfer Plan
Quarter-by-quarter courses, IGETC requirements, and major prerequisites — verified from real articulation data.
From
De Anza College
To
UCLA
PsychologyGPA Reality Check
UCLA's minimum to apply as a transfer is a 2.0 GPA. The actual admitted Psychology students in Fall 2024 had GPAs ranging from 3.81 to 4.00. That gap is not a technicality — it's the real standard. Admissions pays especially close attention to your grades in the core prep sequence: PSYC 1, PSYC 15, and PSYC 3. A B in one of those won't disqualify you, but a pattern of Bs across all three will put you at a disadvantage against applicants who have straight As in the same courses.
Transfer Alliance Program (TAP)
De Anza is a TAP member school, which means you have access to one of the most meaningful advantages in UCLA transfer admissions. TAP-certified students get priority consideration for the Psychology B.A. — a Letters and Science major — and are also eligible to designate an alternate major so UCLA can consider you for a second program if you're not admitted to Psychology first. To get certified, complete De Anza's Honors Program and work with your honors counselor to submit the TAP certification form before the February deadline.
Major Requirements
Psychology (College of Letters and Science B.A.) Major Preparation
Psychology (College of Letters and Science B.A.) at UCLA
Courses at De Anza College that satisfy UCLA's Psychology major preparation, verified via ASSIST.org.
UCLA also offers a Psychobiology B.S. through the College of Letters and Science — a very different, biology-heavy track aimed at pre-med and neuroscience-bound students. There's also a Cognitive Science B.S. for students drawn to computation and mind. If your goal is clinical, counseling, or social psych research, the Psychology B.A. is your target. If you're pre-med or love biology, look hard at Psychobiology before you apply.
| Course at De Anza College | Satisfies at UCLA | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 1 — General Psychology | PSYCH 10 — Introduction to Psychology | 5 |
| PSYC 15 — Statistics for Behavioral Sciences | STATS 10 — Introduction to Statistical Reasoning | 5 |
| PSYC 3 — Human Experimental Psychology | PSYCH 20A — Research Methods in Psychology (lower-division prep) | 5 |
General Education
Foundation GE at De Anza College
Complete these five courses at De Anza College to start your UCLA GE pattern. Finishing full IGETC/Cal-GETC at the CC is ideal — these five give you the broadest head start, and CCN-tagged courses stay portable if you switch community colleges.
BIOL 10
Introductory Biology
CHEM 10
Introductory Chemistry
HIST 17A
History of the United States to Early National Era
ENGL C1000
Academic Reading and Writing
ENGL C1001
Critical Thinking and Writing
| Area | Course at De Anza College | Units |
|---|---|---|
Life Science | BIOL 10 — Introductory Biology | 5 |
Physical Science | CHEM 10 — Introductory Chemistry | 5 |
Humanities | HIST 17A — History of the United States to Early National Era | 4 |
English CompositionCCN | ENGL C1000 — Academic Reading and Writing | 5 |
Critical ThinkingCCN | ENGL C1001 — Critical Thinking and Writing | 5 |
Statistics → Research Methods
PSYC 15 (Statistics for Behavioral Sciences) must be completed before you can enroll in PSYC 3 (Human Experimental Psychology) — and both are required for the UCLA Psychology transfer prep. If you wait too long to take PSYC 15, you'll run out of quarters to finish PSYC 3 before your application is submitted.
Preview
Your First Quarter
A preview of what Pipeline generates — exact courses, in the right order, every quarter.
Watch Out
Common Mistakes for This Transfer Path
PSYC 3 Has Two Gates, Not One
At De Anza, Human Experimental Psychology (PSYC 3) requires both PSYC 1 and PSYC 15 as prerequisites — meaning statistics has to come before research methods, not alongside it. Many students at semester-based schools can double up on intro and stats in the same term and still hit methods on schedule, but De Anza's quarter system gives you less buffer: if you delay PSYC 15 to Winter quarter of Year 2, you can't finish PSYC 3 until Spring — your final quarter before applications are due. Map this sequence out on Day 1.
Don't Skip the TAP Certification Step
Completing De Anza's Honors Program gets you TAP-eligible, but TAP certification is a separate step you have to complete with your honors counselor — typically by February of the year you're applying. Students who finish honors coursework but miss the certification window lose the priority consideration benefit entirely. Set a calendar reminder the moment you start the honors program.
IGETC Saves You Units — Use It Strategically
The UCLA Psychology B.A. accepts IGETC, which means completing IGETC at De Anza can clear your lower-division general education requirements in one shot rather than navigating UCLA's GE system after transfer. Start EWRT 1A (Composition and Reading) your first quarter — it satisfies IGETC Area 1A and has no prerequisites, so it fits cleanly into any first-term schedule alongside PSYC 1.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is it to transfer from De Anza College to UCLA for Psychology?
UCLA admitted 22% of Psychology transfer applicants in Fall 2024, with admitted students showing GPAs between 3.81 and 4.00. That's competitive — the published minimum is far below what actually gets you in. Your grades in the core prep sequence at De Anza, especially PSYC 1, PSYC 15, and PSYC 3, will be scrutinized closely.
What courses do I need to take at De Anza College to prepare for UCLA Psychology?
The three key lower-division prep courses are PSYC 1 (General Psychology), PSYC 15 (Statistics for Behavioral Sciences), and PSYC 3 (Human Experimental Psychology). These articulate to UCLA's required Intro Psychology, Statistics, and Research Methods prerequisites — and they must be taken in that sequence because PSYC 1 and PSYC 15 are both prerequisites for PSYC 3.
Does De Anza College have a TAP program for UCLA?
Yes — De Anza is a TAP member school. If you complete De Anza's Honors Program, your honors counselor can certify you for TAP, which gives you priority consideration for admission to the UCLA College of Letters and Science — the college that houses the Psychology B.A. TAP also lets you list an alternate major on your UC application, giving you a second shot at admission.
Should I do Psychology B.A. or Psychobiology B.S. at UCLA?
These are genuinely different programs. The Psychology B.A. is the route for students interested in clinical, social, or research psychology — and it's housed in the College of Letters and Science. Psychobiology B.S. is biology-heavy and designed for students heading toward medicine or neuroscience. If you're taking PSYC 1 and PSYC 3 at De Anza, you're on the Psychology B.A. track. Psychobiology would require significantly more life sciences preparation.
Does IGETC work for UCLA Psychology transfers from De Anza?
Yes, UCLA accepts IGETC for the Psychology B.A. in the College of Letters and Science. Completing IGETC at De Anza clears your lower-division general education requirements before you arrive at UCLA. Start with EWRT 1A (Composition and Reading) — it satisfies IGETC Area 1A and pairs well with your first-quarter major prep courses.
Explore More
Related Transfer Plans
Students at De Anza College who are planning to transfer to UCLA for Psychology are navigating one of the more competitive pathways in the California community college transfer system. The Psychology B.A. at UCLA sits within the College of Letters and Science and admitted just 22% of transfer applicants in Fall 2024, with successful candidates showing GPAs between 3.81 and 4.00 — a far cry from the technical minimum. Transfer planning for this path starts with three core major prerequisites completed at De Anza: PSYC 1 (General Psychology), PSYC 15 (Statistics for Behavioral Sciences), and PSYC 3 (Human Experimental Psychology). These courses must be taken in sequence, since PSYC 15 is a prerequisite for PSYC 3, and getting the order wrong can burn a full quarter in De Anza's quarter-based calendar. Completing IGETC at De Anza is also strongly recommended — UCLA accepts IGETC for the Psychology B.A., allowing students to clear their general education requirements before arriving on campus. De Anza students also have access to the Transfer Alliance Program (TAP), which provides priority consideration for admission to Letters and Science majors including Psychology; TAP certification is handled through De Anza's Honors Program and requires a separate certification step with an honors counselor. Tools like Pipeline help students at De Anza College build personalized transfer plans that map out the exact quarter-by-quarter sequence of major prerequisites, IGETC coursework, and TAP certification milestones — so nothing falls through the cracks on the way to UCLA.
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